Student Day (Iran)
| 16 Azar incident | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Constitutionalization attempts in Iran | |||
| Date | 7 December 1953 | ||
| Location | University of Tehran | ||
| Caused by | Opposition to American vice president Richard Nixon's impending visit to Iran | ||
| Methods | Student strike, student riot | ||
| Resulted in | Protests suppressed | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
|
| |||
| Casualties | |||
| |||
.svg.png){kind=small}
Student Day (Persian: روز دانشجو) is the anniversary of the murder of three students of University of Tehran on December 7, 1953 (16 Azar 1332 in the Iranian calendar) by Iranian police in the Pahlavi era.[2] Every year there are local demonstrations at many universities organised by students. The government also organises a national demonstration which sometimes clashes with student organised protests. The 2016 date is December 6.[3]
It is commemorated both by religious and secular student movements. Ahmad Ghandchi who belonged to Jebhe-e Melli and two other students, Shariat-Razavi and Bozorg-Nia who were claimed by Hezb-e Tudeh, were killed when the Shah's police forces opened fire on the students of University of Tehran going on strike in protest at the resumption of Iran's relations with Great Britain and Nixon's visit to Iran, following the coup d'état of 1953.[4] On the anniversary of Student Day in 2009, large student protests broke out in opposition to the 2009 Iranian Presidential election.
Following the December 7, 2009 Student Day protests in Iran, Heshmat Tabarzadi published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, writing, "One thing is certain: Dec. 7 proved that the movement for a free, democratic Iran is robust and only growing in strength. If the government continues to opt for violence, there very well may be another revolution in Iran. One side has to step down. And that side is the government—-not the people."[5]
See
References
- 1 2 3 4 Gholamreza Azari Khakestar (26 July 2015). Translated by Zahra Hosseinian. "Looking at the student movement in Mashhad (1)". Oral History Weekly.
- ↑ Yaghmaian, Behzad (2002). Social change in Iran: an eyewitness account of dissent, defiance, and new movements for rights. SUNY Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-7914-5211-0.
- ↑ http://calendar.zoznam.sk/persian_calendar-en.php
- ↑ In defense of Marxism - Student Day in Iran: Breaking the climate of fear and intimidation
- ↑ Tabarzadi, Heshmat (17 December 2009). "What I See on the Frontline in Iran". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 29, 2009.